Wings in the Skies
by FenixOfTheDark
Summary: [IR-verse] Miscellaneous drabbles/ficlets that tie into the greater 'Verse. No particular focus or order. Current Chapter: The fate of Unova is shunted into action via N. Unfortunately, the pair picked are less than happy.
1. Holyland attack

**When:** April 14, 2001; Blackthorn prefecture  
 **Summary:** Clair did not ask for this.  
 **Warnings:** Death, slight gore. This links into a larger fic-verse known as IR-verse.

 **~:: We fly to the heavens on wings of a dragon tonight ::~**

"Get the wounded to safety!" Miyami had to shout to be heard over the crescendo of noise clattering the valley-front.

It would figure that the Rockets -everyone assumed Rockets given the uniforms- would attack under the cover of pre-dawn darkness. If it hadn't been for the young sentry they would never have known. While most of the Rockets were on fearow and pideot back, there were still those on the ground to worry about. She grit her teeth, ducking down when something headed her way. It didn't reach. Opening an eye, she saw her cousin Masaru's kadabra using Protect. Good. A look around and she nodded thanks before narrowing her eyes.

It was chaos.

Wardens on the ground, Riders in the air... A look around only proved it when she saw two Riders with the polearms in the thick of things. Thankfully she didn't see her daughter, or her sister's children. Thank the First Dragons. They were too young to deal with this shit of a draturd. "Make sure Ibuki stays at Fusube."

"Understood, ma'am," The ace Trainer beside her nodded and teleported out. She knew Clair, Lance, and the rest would manage to defend Blackthorn if any Rockets entered. No. It would not be needed, she was certain of it. They were _Tatsuno_ ; they'd protected and defended this region of Johto for millennia.

She took another look around, snarling to herself as she pulled on the bare minimum armour to protect her against pokemon attacks.

Rockets. Arceus condemn Kanto to the _end of time_! Couldn't they keep their own issues in their backyard? Sharding shellards of a draturd from a fresh queen. Her jaw set in hatred and determination as her helmet slid into place. She couldn't say she was shocked; Kanto had a 'habit' of proving Johtoan faith wrong time and again. Well. Time to _do_ something about that. She didn't even have to look for the 'ball she wanted. She knew which one of her dragons it was.

"Bou. Let's go." The salamence roared as its mistress jumped on its back, hand finding the basic flight straps with ease. A jerk and up they went, two flygon Riders flanking them while a dragonair Rider whipped past, some sort of electric pokemon with it.

Miyami ignored it all, eyes on the pidegot and fearow that circled overhead, riders looking down with a smirk before they headed higher, taunting her. She thought she saw a flash of red, but it was impossible to tell and she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. Red hair could belong to anyone, not just clan members. She urged Bou onward and higher, leaving her escort behind to deal with any Rockets that tried to come from behind or below, following the fliers as they banked right then left, circling before finally hovering in the chill pre-dawn air.

Miyami's snarl was stolen by the air and the sound of her cape whipping behind her, but her thoughts were her own. _Arrogant things_ , but she'd deal with them herself. The location of the Holyland was secretive and well guarded, but anyone who put in the effort could find the aerial location of the valley. It seemed the Rockets had done just that.

Mother wasn't going to like that and Father would be having a fit alongside her. They'd need to cover it up better, invest in better psychics and holographic technology-

She could think on that later, and more to the point, Father's role was Security.

Her hand went for the rifle at her side -

It never made it.

A shot rang out, followed by a cry of shock and a roar of denial as the salamence dove to catch the injured woman, Miyami's eyes were wide as her hand pressed against the shoulder wound, as if to starve the blood flow. Her other hand grabbed at the straps as soon as she could, ignoring the pain that lanced her anew. She twisted her hand into the straps with a grunt, heart pounding. Bloodloss was not something that she needed now at these heights with the air perilously thin, yet with her heart pounding and the panic that came with being shot...

Her adrenaline levels were spiking and there wasn't a thing she could do but end the fight _now_. "Destruction Beam."

The dragon roared, mouth opening wide as energy rapidly built in the gaping maw. Its head swung around as the Hyper Beam was unleashed. They were diving not a second later, executing a barrel roll. Eyes closed, her grip on the flight straps tightened as she put all her faith in the dragon that she called hers, trusting that it would not allow its master to die. " _Defend me_."

As they descended, her thoughts turned to Clair, and Kris, so new to the Clan but already one of them in spirit she was sure. To her sister and her nephews and nieces. They had to win, she was fighting to defend not just the Holyland of the clan and dragons, but Blackthorn and its way of life. If the attack succeeded here... She dare not contemplate what might happen. It was far too horrible.

Another shot rang out, this one just missing her and Miyami jerked on the straps to pull her dragon up. Her eyes caught sight of the pidgeot rider. They widened as the colour drained from her face. She knew him clear as day, even in the uniform and cloak and cowl. He was no Admin-

"No...Why..."

" _Yes_."

"We trusted you! _Sayako_ trusted you!"

The rider smirked and her heart seemed to drop back to the ground. It was her brother-in-law. She was the only one who'd seen him and she was powerless against what was to come as he levelled his gun. "She still trusts me. She'll _always_ trust me."

"You would shoot your own sister-in-law? You would murder the next Clan Head...?"

"Sayako will become the Head."

He was _Kantan_. She should have been more vocal against the marriage.

Stupid, _stupid_ Kantan. They ruined _everything_.

"You fool. It will go to Ibuki." Miyami's eyes widened when the gun cocked, heart racing, mind locked in shock at his smile. He knew how it worked; he'd murder her, murder Clair, murder Kris, all so his wife could be Clan Head, all so he could be an Elder, because every spouse of the Head was an Elder. She knew that she should do something, but what? Neither she nor Bou could outrun or dodge a bullet this close, and she-

The shot rang out.

Miyami heard a shout, but it seemed so distant compared to the pain that blossomed in her mind. Looking down she saw the blood staining her chest. She knew then he'd hit a lung. If she didn't suffocate, he'd end her life. Her eyes widened in horror at the implications. They slid to the ground several thousand feet below, then back up to her brother-in-law. She made the choice then and there.

She was going to die, but she had to take him out, had to do something- "Destruction Beam."

The beam attack from the salamence caught the pidgeot side on and it screeched in pain. But that wasn't all. She saw the rider signal to something behind her. Turning, she watched in horror as the fearow she'd forgotten about until now dove towards her, its beak seeming to spin as it collided with the hind of her salamence, drilling into the flesh before pulling out, only to do it again and again.

She looked away as the dragon roared, turning to face its attacker. It caught a wing in it's mouth but not before the damage was done, spinal cord exposed and bone nicked in several places. It would not be long before the back end gave out and the deadweight dragged it down. A pity, she thought numbly. The pokemon had been one of her best fighters. The dragon had been her friend and she'd worked her arse off to gain its -his- trust. A glance up at the rider and she wished she hadn't.

The last thing she saw was the cold grin as he pulled the trigger yet again.

Both human and pokemon were dead by the time they hit the ground with a crack and snap of bones and metal.

The lights on her pokeballs flickered out, sealing the occupants' fates.

They had no way of knowing the murderer would remain at large, that most of the 'Rockets' would be killed, bodies tossed onto makeshift fires. They were criminals; unworthy of identification. The remaining 'Rockets' would flee; they would later be gunned down in back alleys by the mastermind, the blame pinned on various causes, including smuggling and drug running.

It was how it was.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

 _Thank the Queens Kris isn't here_ , Clair thought as she stared at the nurse like he'd grown a second head.

This couldn't be happening. Her mother couldn't be amongst the dead from the morning's attack. She couldn't. "Who?"

"The Rockets. We managed to deal with them, but not before..."

"The Holyland is a mess." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Clair shook her head even as her mind raced. Changes would have to be made; she'd be forced into assuming the title of heir unless her grandmother chose her aunt, but that wasn't how clan politics worked. Sayako was second born and had not given birth to a daughter before Clair had been born.

"I understand."

"Riuko-sama is taking care of the funeral."

"Of course." Clair wanted to scream. The politics that were to come were not something she wanted to deal with. She was _going_ to be the heir. Lance was a choice but he was a male and the clan hadn't had a male heir in well over two hundred years. It was as simple as that, but she knew that her aunt would protest and try to leverage his status as a Forest Child to her own favour.

Clair could hear the arguments now. It couldn't be helped though; the woman had always been like that and her husband would protest it even more. But the man was from Kanto. What would a _Kantan_ know about their way of life-

Clair blanked her mind, unwilling to go down that path right now. "What of the Gym? Her team?"

"The League will decide."

Clair's face twisted into a look of rage. "Kanto would dare-?"

"They do," the nurse said with an apologetic bow.

"And the Johto Elite will dance along like always," Clair muttered bitterly before she exhaled slowly, relaxing her hands. "I understand," she said with a sharp nod.

She needed to warn Lance. She needed to make sure he wasn't in the crossfire of Kanto forcing a Gymleader on them, and Lance was, even without his gift, _talented_. If they couldn't find him, they couldn't attempt to shackle him to the Gym.

"But for now your mother's Trainers will run it." Thank the Immortals. "Her pokeballs were damaged in the fall and the team unable to be retrieved."

Her heart skipped a beat. Her mother had fallen to death? She calculated the height needed to break a 'ball and whimpered. At least it was only her mother's main team.

"They'll be buried with her," the nurse finished.

"I see." Clair dismissed the man with a wave.

Only once she was gone did the young woman collapse back on the couch and hug her bagon pillow. _It wasn't fair_. She didn't want this to be true; she wanted her mother to be here, not lying cold on a slab as they made the burial arrangements. Spectacular as they would be, it wasn't the same.

She _wasn't_ ready for this. She was only twenty-one.

She'd have to tell Kris; the child had loved her grandmother even though they weren't related by blood. She'd have to let Lance know, if he didn't know already.

A sigh and she stood. She was to be the Clan Heir, if not clan Head. Unready or not, she'd been brought up with the understanding that she would one day be Clan Head.

She'd best get it done with before Kris heard it from another source.

As she exited the house, she started to dial Lance's number on her pokegear.

"Wataru. It's me," she started once he picked up. "I've got some news for you, little brother."

 **~:: With the heart of a dragon we ride ::~**


	2. Unwanted Destiny

**Summary:** The fate of Unova is shunted into action via N. Unfortunately, the pair picked are less than happy.  
 **Warnings:** This links into a larger fic-verse known as IR-verse. Basic details can be found on my profile. This ficlet-thing contains some usage of Germanic names for people, pokemon, and places. Translations provided at the end.

 **~:: The trials you now are facing, they are not greater than your will ::~**

"What do you think, my twins?"

 _What-?_ The twins stared at each other as they came to a stop, Hilbert slightly in front while Hilda stared at the massive behemoth of a dragon N faced.

But they didn't get a chance to respond. "He has shown himself!"

 _Zekrom._

Eyes wide and unable to look away, their hands found each other as they moved closer together in horrified silence.

" _I_ am the _hero_ who will guide the world and together we will bring reassurance to all Pokemon!" N spun on his heel to face the twins, a fanatical smile starting to reach for his ears. Hilbert swallowed as the dragon rumbled, wings half flaring then settling back against its back.

No. No no _no_. Something flashed across his mind, like he'd _seen_ this before.

"What..." Hilda took a step back as she stared at the Immortal. "I don't-"

N didn't appear to hear it. "Now, Zekrom and I will head for the Pokemon League!"

"What-" Hilbert started, but N _kept talking_.

"This will mark the start of the last of the Pokemon battles that hurt them so. A world for us- for Pokémon alone... It's _finally_ going to be a reality!" His wide grin stretched ear to ear, matching the wide glint in his eyes as he spread his arms, palms to the sky. "It'll be glorious. Don't you agree, my twins?"

"No way!" They shot back as one, and together they took a step forward, pulling two pokeballs off their belts.

N's smile seemed to grow. "Two bodies, one soul. As if in perfect synchronicity. My twins. My precious twins."

"We're _not_ your twins!"

N's head cocked to the left, green eyes cold, calculating. Considering. "No? But you _are_. I have said it so; **_you_** are my counter heroes!"

"Counter... heroes?"

"Find Reshiram, the counter to Zekrom. When she recognises you as such then you can try to stop us!" It was as if N didn't -couldn't- hear or see their confusion. "Well, what will you do? The Pokemon with you believe in you so strongly..."

"Of course they do. What pokemon doesn't believe in and obey their Trainer?" Hilbert shot back with a scowl.

"And we believe in them!" Hilda's hand tightened around her samurott's pokeball. "How can we not when we've been through so much together!?"

"Yea!" Hilbert added, eyes narrowed. "Half of it your making, you freak!"

N tilted his head back, the wide, unnatural grin never leaving his face.

"If you want to protect the so-called bonds between Pokemon and people, then find the Light Stone and meet me at the Pokemon League. There we will see how true these bonds are!" A hand signal and Zekrom scooped him up as its massive wings unfurled. With a single jump, it was in the air taking flight. The twins stared after him.

"Did that-"

"-Just happen?"

They stared at each other in shock. "Do you?"

"-Yea," Hilbert nodded. "The weight-"

"-of the world," Hilda finished without skipping a beat.

"Again," they finished together. Hilda frowned, staring at the red-and-white ball in her hand. "But...That doesn't make any sense. This was the first time we've even _seen_ an Immortal this close."

"But that feeling in the Desert..." Hilbert whispered, hand protectively covering Hilda's.

"'Bert..." Hilda glanced up at him. "I'm-"

"I know." Hilbert's face was a mirror of her's. She could handle herself just as well as him, if not better, but fear and terror warred with the desire to take his twin far, far away from this growing nightmare. "It's not like we have to do this. We're just kids. They can't make us."

..Right?

"Hilda, Hilbert!"

They turned as one at the sound of their names, almost sagging in relief when they saw Cheren and Brycen coming towards them. Both sported worried and scared looks. "Was that _N_? With an _Immortal_?"

They nodded mutely.

"What did he want?" Brycen asked gently.

"For us to find and _capture_ Reshiram," Hilda stated.

"Yea..." Hilbert nodded shakily, still pale and drawn just like his twin.

"...Do we- really-?" Hilda demanded after a few moments, Starter's pokeball hooked back on her belt.

"Yea! In case you haven't noticed, _we're_ _ **kids**_!" Hilbert half shouted half growled, one hand balled into a fist while the other gripped the pokeball so hard his knuckles turned white. "This shouldn't have happened!"

Brycen pinched the bridge of his nose. As he spoke, he never once raised his voice. "Calm down, both of you. The key now is to clear up what's happened and _then_ decide what to do next."

Cheren rounded on the Gymleader, eyes blazing in anger. "Are you saying they're _lying_?"

"Not at all, but-"

"It's ok. We understand." The twins shared a look, then slowly nodded their consent. "We'll share our memories..." Hilda said, while Hilbert added: "Because we _don't_ want this."

Brycen's look was unreadable. "Let's head down."

"You both look like you've seen a ghost," Cheren muttered as they started heading for the exit, leaning in low to add: "Or like Bi' faced with her father."

Hilda nodded, voice curt. "Something like that..."

* * *

"This is not good," Cedric Juniper said as he recalled his gothitelle in a flash of light, the pinkish dreamball clipped back on the belt, while both of the twins rubbed their head. Just because they'd agreed to let a psychic into their memories didn't mean it was pleasant.

Didn't mean they had enjoyed reliving said memories.

"Remind me not to agree to projection again..." Hilda muttered, rubbing his temples.

"That guy gives me the creeps..." Bianca said, hugging her jacket tighter while looking between her friends and Juniper's father. "Yet I thought Z-Zekrom was sealed alongside Reshiram?"

"It was," Alder held his hand up to forestall any questions. "Yet, this _isn't_ the time for chitchat. It's said Zekrom has the power to destroy the world."

"The world...? He said he was going to change Einall," Hilda said with a mullish twist to her mouth. "Is _that_ the only reason he did this?!... To change the _world_?"

"I don't know," Cedric said with a shake of his head. "He could just want to control an Immortal."

"Oh, _wonderful,_ " Hilda snapped, arms crossed.

"He's unhinged enough to try, that's for sure," Hilbert grumbled, more a statement than anything as he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "But...change the _world_?"

"It'd be through fear," Hilda said with a snort, and Hilbert nodded, picking up where she left off.

"When I saw that pokemon... I thought we were back there, crossing the Wastelands. It was the same feeling, only stronger."

"Feeling? Brycen asked.

"Yea. Just... Like most people feel around a morgue or a tomb or graveyard, you know?" Hilbert said with a shrug. "Anyway, I can't imagine a world without pokemon at my side."

"Same. They're far too useful to just give up, and I'm pretty sure you'd Blood one of the ghosts if they took that echnatoll away." Hilda quipped, motioning to the white healball that housed her brother's cofagrigus.

"Nah, it'd be Thanatos," Hilbert said with a laughing grin and wave of his hand. "Assuming Deimos didn't just eat the person first."

"Yet, this _is_ what we're facing if N gets his way," Brycen said, "And we _know_ from ancient maps that Zekrom and Reshiram alone changed the very face of Einall. Legends tell they killed the Hero Twins too. Yet, N _still_ wants you both to find the Light Stone?"

Both Hilda and Hilbert nodded. "Yep. Because we're _twins_."

"Um.." Bianca bit her lip as she stared at the ground for several seconds before looking to Cheren. "Um... Cheren, can you let your kleoparda out please?"

Cheren nodded, doing as asked. "Sure."

Bianca offered him a grateful smile, relaxing as the liepard lent against her. "Thanks. Um... But...isn't that kinda... _dangerous_ for our friends to do?"

Alder sighed. "Little miss, you're correct. But it's not searching for the Immortal -well, its stone- that's the problem."

All eyes were on Alder, and it was Cedric that spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"We don't know where the Light stone is," Brycen said, perhaps a tad bluntly, but it had to be said.

"What's worse is we don't know _how_ they found Zekrom's stone, or how N would react if it wasn't found by you," Alder finished.

"...What." Hilda went white. No. _No_. This wasn't happening. "N-No. W...We - _We're kids_!"

Hilbert shook his head in denial. "We'd be going up against an Immortal- _a god_. We- You can't-"

"I'm sorry, but as Champion and the Emperor's Uncle, I can." Alder said, voice hard.

The twins flinched. "But..."

"I'm sorry," Alder smiled sadly as he looked at the pair of fifteen-year-olds. "The only person who knows more about the stone is Drayden Lysander, Twindrake's Gymleader. He may be of some help to you."

"...Then we'll go see him," was the mulish reply from both of them.

Alder nodded. "If you cut through the moor, you should reach Twindrake in a week. Otherwise, I can arrange a p-t for tel-"

"We'll take the moor. It'll give us a chance to train," Hilbert snapped, raking a hand through his hair and failing to meet anyone's eyes. "For now, let's head back to Nevaio."

* * *

"I can't believe he _did that_."

"He's _Royalty_. They can do what they want, remember? Like that 'Trip' kid."

"Ugh. At least we took him down a rung." Hilbert huffed, scowling. "But it's got to be another level of entitlement to thrust the weight of the world on _kids_."

"Yea," Hilda said, arms wrapped around the largest pillow she'd been able to find in the motel room. "I-Do you think-?"

"I don't know... "

"What they want - it's _suicide_ , 'bert."

"... Maybe if we're lucky he'll kill us." Hilbert deadpanned, barely dodging the cushion his twin threw at him. "What? He's _creepy_."

"He's _obsessed_ with us. Ugh." She scrubbed her face before hugging the pillow tighter. "We're not even identical twins." The young woman huffed into her pillow. "I've a mind to ignore all this, or skip the country and go to like, Orre or Ferrum."

"Problem: we don't speak Orren or Ferrese."

"Guidebooks exist."

"I guess." Hilbert snorted, then grinned. "Hey, how 'bout I feed him to Deimos next time we see him? Problem solved."

Hilda's glare was hotter than the sun. "Hilbert!"

"What? It's the perfect place to hide a body."

The pillow hit his face not a few seconds later.

 **~:: For there is nothing under heaven you cannot overcome ::~**

 ** _Translations_**  
 _echnatoll_ \- German name for cofagrigus; Hilbert's named his Deimos, after a figure in Unova's past.  
 _kleoparda_ \- German name for liepard; known to be good for helping soothing empaths.  
 _p-t_ \- The most common slang term for psychic-type.  
 _Twindrake_ \- German name for Opelucid; said to the place where deinos where first encountered. _Nevaio_ \- German name for Icirrus; best known for the volume of snow it gets each year.  
 _Einall_ \- What the people of Unova call themselves. Unova is but one of many, many non-natives names for the country.


End file.
